4 May 2017

8 WAYS TO CREATE A STYLISH HOME OFFICE

As a blogger, I knew having my very own home office to create content was essential. It used to be a laptop balancing on my knee, then it progressed to the dining room table and now I have my own desk set up in a room of its very own, with light boxes and everything. As Rachel once said in Friends, I have walls!

Having that space just really makes me feel like I’m a proper girl boss, do you know what I mean? I have my editorial planner up, my to-do list ready to be ticked off and my gold wire memo board filled with inspirational quotes and images to get my brain excited. I’m ready to put fingers to keyboard as soon as I step into that office.

So, with that said, today I wanted to share eight ways you can create your own blogging area at home, even if your renting a room, still living at home with your parents or space isn’t necessarily on your side

Find the Perfect Desk

Finding the perfect desk is pretty much like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It can be too small, it might be too big, but once you find one that fits perfectly, snap it up as fast as you can. I have a mid-century modern desk in white and wood finish like this beauty from Lakeland Furniture, which provides extra drawer storage for my books, tax returns etc. By giving your room a Marie Kondo style cleanse and perhaps moving some furniture around, you might be able to add a space-saving desk to a spare wall – just remember, if you’re adding your desk to a room you currently have furniture in, like your living room, try match the wood or feel of the other furniture so it blends in seamlessly.

Organisation

Being organised is key to creating an area to blog in, especially if you have a minimal amount of space. Invest in a small filing drawer, or add files and boxes to floating shelves above the desk. I bought a white £15 filing cabinet from Ikea and sprayed the silver handles brass to tie into the rest of my room, which was a simple and easy DIY project that took less than 10 minutes. You can also get gorgeous co-ordinating boxes from so many retailers now which could be stacked on top of each other to hold all your bills, receipts, important documents etc. and still keep the area looking stylish.

Create your own inspiration board

If you read this post a little while ago, you’ll know I’m a big fan of vision boards. And whether you believe in the Law of Attraction or not, having a mood or inspiration board can really help you work wise. I have images that reflect how I want this blog to grow, the Apartment Number 4 branding colours so I’m reminded to be cohesive in my posts, and inspirational quotes that push me a little bit further when I’m flagging – key for when you’re working at 21.14 on a Wednesday night like I am right now.

Decorate with what you already have

Once you start to look around your home, you’ll notice you already have so many things that could be used on your desk – pretty tea cups and egg cups could be used to store pins, staples and paperclips, or glass jars which have once had candles in to store your pens and pencils in. It’s about looking at things with fresh eyes and seeing how much you can utilise from your home and not have to open your purse for.

Use your wall space wisely

The wall directly behind your desk is the perfect canvas for floating shelves to create more storage options, a copper magazine rack to keep all your favourite reads together and a place to hang your favourite prints. A mini gallery wall can look amazing when done properly and really adds a boundary to the space so you’re able to tell instantly, that area is a designated workstation.

Comfort comes first

Comfort is key though and if you’re going to be sitting for a long period of time at your computer or laptop, then investing in a good office chair with adequate support is a must. This Casino Ribbed Office Chair in grey not only looks stylish but is designed to offer the perfect support to your lower back.

Lighting

Having the right lighting is essential, so look for an inexpensive desk lamp to add to your space. Clip on lamps are great for smaller desks as they literally do what it says on the tin and clips to the side of your workstation, freeing up space on top for essentials.

Style Your Desk

OK, so this is where the fun bit comes into it – styling your desk. You’ve gone through all the practicalities such as the chair, the storage and the lighting, but now it’s time to put your stamp on it and add some personal style. I like to have flowers, books in coordinating colours piled up, gold metal storage baskets to hold my bits and bobs in, a candle and pretty stationery from journals to my infamous gold stapler from Kate Spade.

So there you go, eight components of any home office. I hope this post has inspired you in some way to update or even create your own blogging space – a space where you can take over the world one post at a time. And before I go, make sure you sign up to my brand new e-magazine, 4, which is designed to help you create a Pinterest-worthy home on a budget, with every single product being directly shoppable from each page.

This feature was in partnership with Lakeland Furniture who have some fantastic styles of furniture from desks to chairs to storage, suitable for any bloggers office. Image Credits: Livvy Land | Kate La Vie | Sayeh Pezeshki

Some great styling tips - thanks for sharing! It's a good idea to invest time into creating the perfect feel for your home office - you want to mix inspiration with practicality. As it needs to be a room where you're productive and focused, keeping room colours bright and fresh is a good idea.

Welcome to Apartment Number 4. I'm Victoria, a 32 year old interiors addict, with a love for Parisian style, blue and white crockery and pink peonies. My aim here is to help you create a beautiful home regardless of your budget. Come on in...
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